MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Lawmakers have reached the halfway point in this year's regular session of the Legislature but have taken little action on state budgets, revisions to the state immigration law and many other big-ticket items.

Plans to cut pension benefits for new public employees, allow charter schools and change legislators' pay have been debated in review committees, but have yet to pass in the state Senate or House of Representatives. A bill must pass both to become law.

A major tax-break plan for corporations, which supporters said would help attract and retain jobs and opponents said would raid the state Education Trust Fund, did rocket through the House of Representatives last month. But it has stalled in the Senate.

Democrats blamed a lack of leadership by Republican Gov. Robert Bentley and the Republicans who control the House and Senate for the slow pace of many big bills.

"Here we are halfway through the legislative session and we've seen no leadership out of the governor or the Republican supermajority on dealing with the really tough issues facing us," said Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, leader of the 12 Democrats in the 35-member Senate.

Republicans said they've spent lots of time drafting and revising bills to reflect opinions of interested parties.

"We wanted to get to the midpoint of the session .¤.¤. to be prepared to come back after the spring break with the meatier part of the agenda," said Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, the top-ranking state senator.

Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, the House leader, said he expects next year's budgets and bills dealing with the corporate tax break plan, immigration, charter schools, legislative pay and pensions all to pass in the last half of this session.

Marsh was more cautious. "I think all those will get attention and have the opportunity to pass. I'm optimistic," he said, adding that the tax break plan and charter school bill face lots of questions.

Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, said he expects a wild ride. "I think it's going to be the busiest second half of a legislative session I've ever been a part of," said Ford, a legislator since 2000 and leader of the 39 Democrats in the 105-member House.

The House and Senate have met on 15 days since this year's regular legislative session started Feb. 7. They can have, at most, 15 more meeting days in the regular session, which must end by May 21. Lawmakers are taking this week off for spring break and plan to return to the State House on April 3.

Issues

Among high-profile issues awaiting debate after spring break:

A cigarette tax increase or any other statewide tax hike is unlikely, given a threat by Bentley to veto any such tax hike passed by lawmakers, Hubbard and others said. Republicans wouldn't want to override a Republican governor's veto.

The state General Fund -- a major source of state money for Medicaid, prisons and many other non-education services -- likely will be chopped by at least 19.6 percent for the 2013 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.

The General Fund, after Bentley cut budgeted spending earlier this month, is expected to spend almost $1.7 billion this year.

The General Fund's revenues next year are estimated at less than $1.4 billion by the Legislative Fiscal Office, so spending next year likely will be $333 million less than this year.

Rep. Jim Barton, R-Mobile, who chairs the House Ways and Means-General Fund Committee, predicted next year's budget would send shock waves through the state and lead to a "tremendous amount" of layoffs.

He said he planned to unveil, soon after spring break, legislators' proposed General Fund for fiscal 2013.

Spending from the Education Trust Fund, the main source of state money for public schools and colleges, will be capped at $5.48 billion in fiscal 2013, a cut of $151 million, 2.7 percent, from this year's budgeted spending, according to the LFO.

Legislators last year passed a law imposing a spending cap on the trust fund, based in part on the average annual growth in trust fund revenues over the previous 15 years. Tax collections exceeding the cap can refill reserve funds.

Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, said legislators plan to unveil their proposed trust fund budget within a week or two after spring break.

The corporate tax break package would, among other things, let voters change the state constitution to let some companies keep most of the income taxes now paid by their employees to the Education Trust Fund. Supporters said they expect to rewrite the package to cap that proposed benefit.

A revision to Alabama's immigration law will be introduced soon after spring break, said Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, the immigration law's sponsor. He said the revision would "simplify and clarify" the law, but not repeal any section of it.

Supporters said a plan by Rep. Phil Williams, R-Huntsville, to allow charter schools, which are public schools freed from some regulations that regular schools must follow, could give students now attending bad public schools a better chance at learning.

Opponents said the state can't afford to create more public schools. They also contend results for charter schools in other states have been mixed, at best. Williams' bill was debated but not voted on by a House review committee last week.

Plans to provide less-generous pensions to teachers and other public employees hired Jan. 1, 2013, or later, have cleared committees but have yet to face debate in the full House or Senate. The plans would cut state government's payments to the Retirement Systems of Alabama by about $5 billion, 7.9 percent, over almost 31 years, the RSA's actuary firm estimated.

Plans to let voters rewrite the state constitution to tie legislators' pay, starting in November 2014, to the median household income in Alabama have passed review committees but have yet to face debate in the full House or Senate.

The plans, if enacted now, would set pay for most legislators at about $46,000 a year, the LFO estimated. Many legislators, after a cost-of-living raise starting next month, will be making about $55,000 a year, though some legislators have refused pay hikes.

State Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, said Jefferson County legislators have discussed ways to "help the county with its finances," but have yet to agree on a plan to raise taxes, give county commissioners more flexibility in spending existing revenue or make other changes.

"I'm confident that before the end of the session, we will indeed pass legislation .¤.¤. to help the county with its finances," said DeMarco, co-chairman of the delegation of 18 House members who represent Jefferson County.

Lawmakers plan to ask Bentley to interrupt the regular session and to call a special session in May to let lawmakers debate and maybe pass plans to redraw the 35 Senate and 105 House districts to reflect population changes between 2000 and 2010.

Marsh said the special session likely would come between the 29th and 30th meeting day of the regular session. He and Hubbard predicted House and Senate redistricting plans would pass.